For those of you interested in learning more about about the proposed Spring Hill Hospital, tonight is your chance. There will be a meeting tonight at 5:30 - 7:00 at the UAW Hall. Go find out the facts, learn about the Certificate of Need, and ask questions if you would like. There has been an awful lot of mis-information being spread around by Maury Regional and Williamson Medical. Now is your chance to clear up some common misconceptions.
It was also announced last evening at the BOMA work session that Tri-Star HCA are working on an agreement that would place an ambulance service equipped to operate 2 fully equipped ambulance trucks in the City of Spring Hill. I would not surprise me to see Maury Regional and Williamson Medical also offer up services in the near future. Isn't it interesting that the Maury and Williamson hospitals have declined to place services in this city for years and now there seems to be some interest on their behalf. It is amazing how quickly the two regional hospitals are willing to act to provide service now that there is someone (HCA) willing to build a full service hospital in this city?
A day late and a dollar short!
Go to the meeting tonight and learn about the proposed Spring Hill Hospital.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Spring Hill Hospital "Town Hall" Meeting Tonight
Posted by Gorilla in the Corner at 11:41 AM
Labels: Spring Hill Hospital
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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is a series of personal opinions and is not meant to reflect an official position by the City of Spring Hill.
4 comments:
On Tuesday, the Maury County Commission’s Budget Committee approved an ambulance service provided by Maury Regional Hospital and Williamson Medical Center to be located on McLemore Avenue off Main Street.
"The proposal is the result of a planning process that has been in the works between the two hospitals, Maury and Williamson County commissions and the Spring Hill city officials for nearly nine months."
Ambulance Plans Compete
Let me try to get this straight...
Spring Hill officials first asked MRH and WMC to provide ambulance service based out of Spring Hill in July of 2004:
"There is also discussion about having an ambulance from either Maury or Williamson counties stationed in Spring Hill, as opposed to the city purchasing a new ambulance, Williams said."
Spring Hill Considers Buying Ambulance
In May of 2005, MRH Considered adding a new ambulance service in Spring Hill:
"Maury Regional Hospital officials are weighing whether to station an ambulance in Spring Hill.
"We're doing a study of our records to see how much of our volume is coming out of Spring Hill," hospital spokeswoman Darlene Baxter said. "Then, we'll need to look at staffing and logistics."
Maury Regional Considers Adding Ambulance in City
"A spokesperson for Maury Regional said an ambulance for placement in the former fire hall at Spring Hill could be on the agenda before the hospital's Board of Directors' June meeting or later, contingent on compilation of statistics."
Delay in Placing Ambulance at Fire Hall not a Danger
The result?
nothing
In the Daily Herald Article today, Mayor Leverette said:
"I find it interesting that (WMC and MRH) would make such an offer now. Where was that offer a few years ago? It’s a nice offer, we appreciate it, but it’s a little too late."
It's a little too late, indeed.
It really is ALL about the money! It has taken since July 2004 for MRH and WMC to decide how to "evenly" divide up the costs of locating an ambulance service in Spring Hill. I wonder how many people could have used that service since July 2004.
Mayor Leverette today on HCA's proposal:
“It’s at the patient’s request,” he said. “If a patient requests Maury Regional, Williamson or Vanderbilt, it’s up to them. We’re just trying to provide a service to the community.”
And this could be in place NEXT MONTH!!!
A great letter to the editor...
http://www.rctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060428/COUNTY09010501/604280361/-1/ARCHIVES
Ambulance discussion needs to be in hospital debate
To the Editor:
The discussion about a Spring Hill hospital has so far not mentioned an important part of the equation.
Last year, Spring Hill leaders became concerned after a critically ill man waited an extended time for an ambulance to come from another part of the county. Currently, ambulances are provided by both Maury Regional and Williamson Medical Center. The Williamson side is served by a unit in Thompson's Station. The Maury side is serviced by an ambulance south of the city in a city of Columbia Fire Department station. After that incident city leaders attempted to get Maury Regional to add another ambulance in the area. Maury Regional wanted the city to pay for the cost of the ambulance and staffing even though the unit would not be solely for the use of the city. The city decided it could not afford such a deal.
Maury Regional and Williamson Medical Center are both about 14 to 15 miles from the city of Spring Hill. What the board of Maury Regional is not mentioning is that every time an ambulance transports a patient in Spring Hill they leave the city of 20,000 people with limited or sometimes no emergency medical care for more than an hour or longer if they go to a Nashville hospital. Maury operates a physicians office in Spring Hill but it cannot provide definitive emergency or OB/GYN care. Since there is no hospital in the city people have to drive themselves an extended distance for critical care or wait an extended time for an ambulance to respond from other areas when there are none available in the city.
Considering the exploding population, the large industrial complex of Saturn and the constant construction work going on in the city, it would be irresponsible for Spring Hill leaders not to try to add a hospital within the city limits. Citizens could reach true emergency care on their own much faster, and ambulances transporting patients could quickly return to service inside the city and be ready for additional calls. Critically ill patients would have a decreased time to emergency transport and care.
Maury Regional speaks about how they have plenty of capacity for patients admitted for care from Spring Hill. However, what people need to be thinking about is not about your planned procedure, but the critical, emergent visit that could occur without notice. Twenty thousand people deserve rapid emergency care that is within a reasonable distance. Maury Regional and the city of Columbia need to stop trying to control our access to that care.
Stuart Rhinehart
Spring Hill 37174
City favors HCA
This proposal is the continuing discussion among Maury Regional, Williamson Medical and Spring Hill officials to finalize plans for bringing an additional ambulance into Spring Hill.
Let's see.. The options are:
One Class A ambulance from Maury and Williamson EMS to serve the city for three years
or
Two Class A ambulances from HCA to serve the city for five years
hm..
I think I'll take the two full-time ambulances from HCA.
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